Laura Williams

Category: Blog

  • What To Do If You Start To Panic

    What To Do If You Start To Panic

    A few years ago, my husband and I were flying in to New York – the final stop on our honeymoon…

    It was late December, and it was an early morning flight which meant not only was the weather terrible, it was also pitch black outside. As we began our descent, it became clear that the mild turbulence we had been experiencing throughout the flight was just the beginning. Overhead bins burst open, personal belongings slid across the aisles and the cabin lights started to flicker.

    Our descent turned into a rollercoaster ride after the pilot literally pulled up the nose of the plane as he announced over the speaker that it just wasn’t safe enough to land and he’d have to ‘try again’. With nothing but pitch black outside our windows, we had no idea how far off the tarmac we were and people started to panic – including me.

    The weird thing is I can recall with absolute clarity, looking around in that moment, everything suddenly going all Matrix slo-mo and thinking, ‘I could very easily lose my sh** right now. But I’m not going to. I’m not going to panic. I’m going to keep it together. I will not lose my sh**.’  It felt like an out of body experience.

    I don’t know about you but, for me right now, life has way too many of these moments. Just when you think you’ve got a grip, or found a groove, you get blindsided by something that spirals your mind into a frenzy. You have no idea what lies outside of your view and you feel thrown into a situation you can’t fully grasp.

    The next time you find yourself experiencing one of these moments – i.e. you find yourself in the middle of a turbulent ‘air pocket’ and you start to panic – say to yourself out loud…

    I could very easily lose my sh** right now. But I’m not going to. I’m going to keep it together. I will not lose my sh**.

    It sounds mad (so you may want to shut the door before you do so!) but it actually works!

    Life, work – and the world in general – are crazy right now but I am determined to not only not lose my sh** but also to help you to not lose yours! We just need to keep it together until we can come in for a safe landing.

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    Source: From the Tuesday email archives

  • How To Implement A Risk Management Strategy

    How To Implement A Risk Management Strategy

    As school leaders, risk is something that we are incredibly familiar with. We have processes in place to ensure safety on school trips, that our site is secure and that the staff who work for us are screened in accordance with safeguarding legislation.

    These systems are woven into the fabric of school life, often without issue or incident.

    However, there are other types of risks to our schools – beyond the operational – that require more consideration and focus to allow us to mitigate them appropriately.

    By taking a strategic approach to risk management, your school can be proactive and make well-informed and timely decisions.

    What does risk management involve?

    The process of risk management involves six steps; identification, assessment, measurement, management response, monitoring and reporting.

    As an organisation, you should have a process that outlines how you follow these steps to ensure that the management of risk is clearly articulated, understood and implemented by key stakeholders.

    At a strategic level, risk management should be linked to your school development plan and its objectives; specifically the risks that will impede you from implementing your plan effectively.

    What types of risk are there?

    It’s easy to fall into the mindset that everything is a risk i.e. an accident on a school trip or a break-in at school. While these are all risks, as outlined above, they will likely already have comprehensive mitigation measures in place.

    Unless you have reason to believe that your measures are not working or are out of date, an audit identifies areas of concern or some other variable factor has changed, then these types of risk need not feature on your strategic and ‘live’ risk register (or similar document).

    Risk management does not equate to voiding risk altogether as this is often not possible. It’s about forward thinking, taking appropriate action at the right time and ensuring that you’ve done all that you can to reduce the impact of any risk.

    If your management actions are effective and the risk can be deemed ‘low’ then you are managing risk effectively.

    Strategic risks usually fall into five main categories; governance, educational, financial, external and compliance.

    Operational risks, as outlined above, may be incorporated into your risk management process but only if there is a significant impact upon your progress towards your strategic objectives.

    Chances are, serious operational risks would be covered under one of the other five types of risk. Here are some examples of risk for each category:

    Governance
    Constitution or structure of your LGB (numbers, attendance, committees), capacity of the LGB in terms of skillset and time, conflicts of interest.

    Educational
    Outcomes, Ofsted, curriculum, provision, staffing etc.

    Financial
    Limited income, insurances, procurement, internal controls, cash flow, inadequate information or reporting, asset management.

    External
    Reputational, demographic changes, pupil numbers, community, changes in government policy.

    Compliance
    Failure to meet legislative requirements, poor knowledge of responsibilities and regulations, audit issues.

    How do we manage risk?

    Where a risk has been identified, you need to be able to quantify both its probability of occurrence and the relative impact if it does occur.

    When you have identified the measures you are going to put in place to mitigate the risk, you should then assess what effect these measures will have on both the likelihood and impact.

    You should expect a lower probability of it happening or a lesser impact if it does after you have taken management action.

    In the academy sector, this risk assessment process is documented on a risk register. In the maintained sector, you may have an LA risk register template that you use or you may record it in another way.

    There are four main approaches to risk; tolerating (accepting and managing), treating (controlling or reducing), transferring (contracting out or insuring) and terminating (avoiding). The approach you choose to manage each risk will depend on your context and your resources.

    To be clear on accountability and responsibility, you should determine who ‘owns’ each risk. This will likely be the person who is responsible for implementing the mitigating actions. While we know that the ‘buck’ stops with the headteacher, risk management is everyone’s responsibility. Line management and reporting to your LGB should incorporate the risk management process, ensuring that the accountability chain is robust.

    How can we make sure our risk management process is fit for purpose?

    When a risk has been successfully mitigated to what you determine to be an ‘acceptable’ level, there should be a point where this risk is removed from the risk register.

    This means that the focus of risk management is not diluted and that priority is given to current and ‘live’ risks. In the future, it may be that some risks ‘return’ and at that point, they can be revisited.

    When it comes to managing strategic risk, it’s important that the process is integrated into existing structures and systems. This ensures that it is a regular topic of discussion.

    The more people that are involved in the identification, assessment and management of risk, the less likely it is that the process will become subjective or overlooked.

    Risk management may appear to be an onerous administrative process but when it’s well implemented, it can help you to protect your school, staff and students as well as save money, provide stability and help you to make smart decisions about the use of time and resources.

    Risk Management: Self-Evaluation

    • Do we have a formal risk management process?
    • Is it explicitly linked to our strategic objectives?
    • How do we categorise risk?
    • Is our assessment of risk robust?
    • What is our approach to risk?
    • Are accountability lines clear in terms of risk management?
    • How do we communicate management action in terms of addressing risk?
    • How does our governance structure support risk management in terms of scrutiny and challenge?
    • How do we keep our risk management process objective?
    • How do we determine whether a risk should be removed from the risk register?

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    Written for: Primary School Management Magazine

  • Staff Retention: How To Keep Hold Of Your Staff

    Staff Retention: How To Keep Hold Of Your Staff

    If your staff are determined to leave, there’s ultimately little that any headteacher can do to stop them. You can, however, take steps to reduce the likelihood of staff wanting to move on due to professional misgivings. Here’s how to go about identifying staff concerns ahead of time and assemble a robust retention strategy.

    When it comes to recruitment and retention, it’s easy to get lost in short-term activities instead of focusing on long-term strategy. The truth is, there are many touch-points and milestones that can create ‘deal-breakers’ for your employees resulting in resignation. Some are beyond your control but many are within it. Before we look at what you can do to create a robust retention strategy, let’s first look to our employees and what they want from us as employers. These factors, as a whole, constitute what is known as the ‘psychological contract’.

    The psychological contract is the ‘silent partner’ of the employment contract but it is different in that it is unwritten and subjective. For the employee, the psychological contract is focused around their expectations of the employer and how they hold up their end of the ‘employment deal’. These expectations relate to areas such as:

    • Reward
    • Recognition
    • Development and progression
    • Security
    • Management support
    • Flexibility and work/life balance
    • Autonomy
    • Fair treatment
    • Trust

    The management of the psychological contract is key to positive employment relationships and the facilitation of employee choice in order to improve both recruitment and retention.

    Though the psychological contract may be intangible, it is similar to the employment contract in that it can be ‘breached’. From the employee perspective, the most serious form of breach is through organisational and management behaviours which compromise one or more of the above areas. Examples include: over promising and underdelivering, a ‘do as I say not as I do’ culture, a lack of follow through, not meeting deadlines, mismatched processes and practice and moving the goalposts.

    For an employee these types of breach, if unresolved, often result in disengagement. This might start out with feelings of dissatisfaction, progressing to working to rule and doing as little as they can. If this continues for a period of time, it could impact their wellbeing and even result in prolonged periods of absence or resignation.

    As employers, what we have to wrestle with and be alert for are instances where the employee perceives that there has been a breach. This could be due to a lack of communication or information or simply staffs’ own interpretation of management behaviour. Real or perceived, these breaches can be avoided and addressed – thus mitigating the impact on turnover and staff engagement.

    Whatever the truth or reality is, how your staff perceive you as an employer will impact their psychological contract with the organisation. From the moment that staff join your organisation, they are constantly yet often unconsciously assessing whether leaders do what they say they will, honour the promises they make, lead by example and apply policy fairly and consistently.

    When you start looking at the employment relationship through the lens of the psychological contract, the levers you can pull to maintain a healthy psychological contract with your staff become much clearer.

    From your perspective as an employer, the psychological contract lives in what we know more commonly as ‘how things are done around here’. In relation to the list of what our employees want from us, these ‘things’ include:

    • The creation and management of staffing structures and restructures
    • Recruitment processes
    • Leadership and line manager behaviour
    • Policies and implementation
    • Appraisal and Performance Management
    • CPD, career progression and succession planning

    All of these things will currently exist and/or take place within your organisation but how well your organisation does these things has a significant impact on how staff view you as an employer and whether they want to continue working for you. In essence, employer behaviour in these areas determines whether an employee feels supported, treated fairly, valued, recognised, developed, allowed autonomy and trusted.

    Here are some areas to focus on that will help you to both shape and maintain a healthy organisational psychological contract and improve retention:

    1. Job Design & Recruitment

    Turnover can create the perfect opportunity to affect organisational change with minimal disruption. If you have your finger on the pulse and your eye on the future, you can reduce the likelihood of wholesale restructures down the road. Also, take the chance to really think about not only the vacancy that needs to be filled but what type of person the role would suit. Make it an attractive role and be clear what it will be like to do this job on a daily basis; for all its quirks, make sure you highlight its perks. If you’ve nailed job design, then attracting the right candidate for your role shouldn’t be an issue. However, the ‘psychological contract’ starts here – everything that is written, spoken and communicated from the start to the end of the recruitment process sets the tone for the future working relationship. Be consistent, don’t make promises you can’t keep and deliver on everything you say you will. This rolls right through into induction and probation periods. Don’t leave them adrift, wandering around your corridors. Take charge, set expectations and set your stall out in terms of what your staff can expect to receive from you as a member of your team.

    2. Line Management and Workload

    How your line managers look after their staff is a critical part of maintaining the psychological contract. How managers treat people has a direct impact on how staff feel about coming to work in the morning. They are the ‘face’ of the organisation and the decisions that are made so how they communicate to staff matters. The value that you place on the quality of line management directly indicates how much you value your staff.

    How well you listen to you staff is also crucial in maintaining the psychological contract; workload being a good example of this. If a task is seen as ‘worth it’, staff will be more likely to engage with it in a positive way. If they see it as a ‘waste of time’, this will affect their view of their role and how they feel about working for you. As I said before, their perception of what’s worth it and what’s not may be skewed but the sooner you address these discrepancies, the better.

    3. Performance Management, CPD & Succession Planning

    If job design and recruitment form the beginning of the psychological contract and line management establishes it, performance management, CPD and succession planning cement it. These processes are about identifying those who need support, supporting those who are ambitious and ready to progress, identifying specific organisational and individually beneficial CPD and having a meaningful dialogue with staff. They alone embody and facilitate several of those employee ‘wants’ we covered: reward, recognition, development, progression, support, fair treatment, autonomy and trust so it’s essential that you get them right.

    How you do business defines both your culture and your identity and how you do something is just as important as what you do. Polices and processes must be designed and actively managed with your people in mind; not only to hold them accountable or to measure them but to recognise them, reward them, bring out the best in them, engage them and value them. By doing this, the right people will not only want to work for you, they will stay working for you.

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    Written for: Primary School Management Magazine

  • SBLs: How To Build Your Confidence

    SBLs: How To Build Your Confidence

    Emotional confidence isn’t about having no fear and being able to do anything – it is more about having a base self-belief (self-esteem) upon which starter and smarter confidence can be built.

    Ultimately, it is the ability to be aware of one’s own needs, the needs of others, being able to show empathy, knowing when to speak out and when to support – and even when to show vulnerability. How can emotional confidence be honed – and how can it be a boon in the workplace?

    Previously, I’ve talked about respect for the SBL role and what I believed were the blockers in the sector. I’ve encouraged you all to keep talking, shout when necessary and be persistent.

    Now I know that sometimes, this is easier said than done. Especially if you are an SBL who doesn’t get a chance to show how much you can make a difference because you are not allowed to or you are limited within your context.

    If you’ve ever worked with me or heard me speak at a conference, then you’ll know that my own experiences as an SBL were tough. I was young, unqualified and working with established leaders who had no idea of the value that a quality SBL could add to the organisation. I had to make up a lot of ground fast!

    The strategies I used (besides gaining as much knowledge as quickly as I could!) involved looking at how I perceived myself, how I wanted others to perceive me and what I could do to bridge that gap.

    For those SBLs who are feeling low in confidence and wondering how they can break the cycle and move forward, here are some ways you can shift your mindset, become the SBL you know you truly are and show others why you deserve to be valued, recognised and celebrated.

    Decide what kind of SBL you want to be

    Visualise yourself unfiltered, unafraid and unlimited. What does that look like? Now ask yourself why you feel that you are not able to be these things. Consider the 5 SBL Tools for Demonstrating Impact and Recognition in my article here.  Are any of these areas holding you back? Why do you think that is and more importantly, what are you doing about it? We often behave in accordance with the way that we believe that we are, not the way in which we wish to be. How would this super-SBL version of yourself act in difficult situations, dealing with staff or leading a meeting? Identify what those behaviours are and articulate them clearly so you have concrete goals to work towards. Leave the ‘if only…’ at the door and show up ‘as if’ you’re already there.

    Question your inner critic

    What we believe is actually not a belief – in our mind, it has become fact. This narrative is what is known as ‘negative self-talk’. Write down all the reasons that you believe that you are not able or allowed to be the SBL you want to be and ask yourself what evidence you have to support that. 

    For example, you’d like to be an SBL who speaks up in meetings. But you don’t. Why? Because when you speak up, you feel stupid and think people don’t care about what you have to say. Dig into this more. Why do you feel stupid? Are you going to say stupid things? (Of course not!) Or are you saying something eminently sensible but nobody cares? Ok. Hold on. Nobody cares? Really? You won’t know until you say it! And if they really, really don’t appear to – how can you make them care? How can you position your view or shape your argument to make sure that you get the attention of the people you’re speaking to? 

    Make decisions from a place of courage, not limitation

    We make decisions every day – but the basis of our decision-making can inadvertently set us on the wrong path. Whether it’s because you’re buying into your inner critic or you’re responding automatically to how you feel other people see you or want you to behave, you can find your ‘negative self-talk’ turning into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, focus on making decisions based on the outcome you want to achieve. What do you need to do? What is the right thing to do? What do you need to get across? What is your main purpose? When you operate from a place of conviction and courage instead of fear, your confidence both in yourself and your abilities will blossom.

    Set boundaries

    Stop trying to please people. I say this as a recovering people-pleaser! We think that if we say yes to everything and no to nothing, then we can prove our worth. Actually, all we’ll achieve is accumulating a to-do list that not even the most talented productivity expert could untangle! There is power in saying ‘no’ or ‘not right now’ or ‘it will have to wait’. The more you can establish those boundaries, the more in control you will feel and the more confident you will be. Saying no doesn’t make you appear unhelpful or unapproachable – especially when we’re operating with conviction and courage in relation to ‘what is the right thing to do?’ and ‘what is my purpose’? Saying no helps you to come across as assured, assertive and in control.

    Ditch perfectionism

    It’s easy to believe that if something isn’t perfect then it has no value. Wait – believe…? Yes, perfectionism is a limiting belief that we accept as fact (see point 2). Who said that less than perfect wasn’t good enough? Time pressures often mean that as SBLs, we don’t get to finish things off as neatly as we’d like or to present them as perfectly as we’d like. You know what? That’s ok. Because often, the standards we set for ourselves are much higher than anybody else’s. Sometimes good, is good enough. And that is just fine. 

    Demonstrate confidence

    You and I both know that you can do this job. You know what you’re doing, you know what needs to be done and you know what you should be doing to make it happen. So do it! Confidence is triggered by intention. Tell people what you’re doing, what you’ll achieve and when you’ll achieve it by. Then get it done. By demonstrating confidence and your ability to achieve, you gain credibility – which in turn, breeds more confidence! When you talk confidently, you inspire others to have confidence in you. 

    Toot your own horn

    When you have achieved something amazing, contributed to a major project or saved your organisation from a crisis, make it your mission to point it out. Remind people of what you have done and what you can do in order for them to see you as a credible leader and contributor to the success of the team. Often, the people around us don’t know what it is that we do or don’t understand the impact that we have on our schools. By sharing your successes, you explicitly demonstrate both the value that you provide and the confidence that you have in your ability to deliver. Recently on Twitter, SBLs have been talking about their ‘ta-da’ lists instead of their ‘to-do’ lists. Sprinkle those ‘ta-da’ tasks all over your school!

    As credibility is earned, not given – confidence comes from within. For people to see the value that we add, we have to see the value within ourselves. It does get tough when we think that people don’t want to listen to us or care about what we do. But you care about what you do; you have a unique skillset that your school needs. So you give it to them with all you’ve got! The rest will follow.

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    Written for: EdExec Magazine

  • How to Set Staff Objectives for Performance Management

    How to Set Staff Objectives for Performance Management

    When it comes to the topic of performance management and target setting, it’s easy to tie ourselves up in policies, templates, tick boxes and deadlines.

    What is often forgotten is that performance is an all year round topic and an ongoing and meaningful dialogue between leaders and teams should be engaged in throughout the year.

    Staff shouldn’t have to wait until the annual cycle comes full circle in September to find out that their performance is sub-standard and that they are not receiving an increment. 

    What the formal process does do is allow you to support your views of staff performance or disabuse yourself of potential biases objectively. 

    Performance management is the gateway to personal development, professional progression and succession planning. It’s to identify those who need support, to support those who are ambitious and ready to progress and to identify specific and individually beneficial CPD.

    To understand how you can improve both clarity and objectivity in both target setting and the measurement of success, let me share with you the terminology I use when discussing staff performance.

    • Appraisal: Appraising the job that is being done, the one outlined in the job description and person specification; the one that they are paid to do. 
    • Performance Management: For those who have consistently exceeded performance expectation and outperformed any targets set by a pre-determined margin. 

    To allow both fair appraisal and to incorporate performance management for those who have excelled, a holistic performance assessment approach should be used. 

    This means that the achievement of arbitrary targets should not become the sole driver of decisions. Instead, overall performance discussions should incorporate a number of factors and not be weighted to one in particular. 

    For example, teacher standards, career-stage, book scrutiny, data, line management and department meetings etc. Essentially, anything reviewed as a matter of course as part of the line management process. 

    Targets should support the appraisal process but not determine it. With the right policy, a teacher can still progress even if targets haven’t been met as long as it can be evidenced that they have met the requirements of their role. 

    The evaluation process should allow room for exceptional performance to be recognised and valued either through accelerated pay or through CPD and/ succession planning strategies. People who outperform in their role consistently, working above and beyond and demonstrating exceptional value, deserve recognition. 

    Exceptional performance should be defined and certainly should not be ‘easy’ to achieve but it should not be impossible either. This is where targets serve a real purpose. Exceptional performance, through targets, can be defined for each individual. Therefore, it hinges not only on meeting standards, but exceeding them consistently as well as exceeding set targets. 

    The truth is, some organisations are good at appraisal and performance management but too many are not. The ones I’ve come across that aren’t are usually linked to either poor policy or poor management training and delivery.  To improve your staff performance discussions, think about what language you and your leaders use and how you articulate the policy. If leaders aren’t on board with the process or fail to execute it properly, it really is a wasted opportunity to serve your staff.

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    Written for: Primary School Management Magazine

  • SBL Framework: Demonstrate Impact and Gain Recognition

    SBL Framework: Demonstrate Impact and Gain Recognition

    Many of the School Business Leaders I coach struggle with one issue above all else: being able to effectively demonstrate how fabulous they are in order to get the recognition that they deserve for the great work they do.  The causes of this vary widely.

    To any SBL who doesn’t feel heard, valued or recognised – please know that this does not mean that you are terrible at your job. It also does not mean that there isn’t anything you can do about it.

    In my role as coach, I work with SBLs to help them interpret and navigate their contextual terrain to effectively identify and remove roadblocks. I’ve created a framework that is one of my go-to tools. How do I know it works? Because over a decade ago, I used it to both survive and thrive in my very first SBM role and every leadership role I’ve undertaken since. 

    1. Identify who

    We’ve established the issue isn’t you… so who is it? Think about your school and context and identify who specifically isn’t listening to you, is stopping you from being heard or doesn’t value what you have to say. Is it one person? Is it a group of people? What level of the organisation are they at and how much of an impact do they have on you and on your role?

    2. Identify why

    Why do you think that they behave in this way? Is it lack of knowledge? Do they think they know better? Are they uncomfortable? Do they prefer to be in control? Do they have different priorities (or seemingly so)? Are they hierarchal? Do they not respect your role? 

    3. Identify what

    When it comes to School Business Leadership, there are five tools that you, as an SBL, have at your disposal and have total control over. To illustrate these, I’m going to share with you some of my experiences as a first-time SBL and then ask you some questions to consider in your context, right now: 

    Your Knowledge

    I fell into the role of SBM by accident – as so many of us do now – and it really was a baptism of fire.  When I first started out, I didn’t know a lot. I had a good working knowledge of the school through other roles I had done but I had zero job-specific qualifications and limited education-specific knowledge. This meant I had zero credibility and zero influence. The gaps that I had were vast and my priority was to fill them as quickly as possible. 

    Your turn…

    How long you have been in post and is that an advantage? What qualifications do you have? How strong is your knowledge of education? How well do you know your school? What is your school like to work in? How could it improve? Think about any knowledge gaps you have and how you can fill them. Also, consider how accurate your knowledge base is (is it objective enough?) and your knowledge sources (are they credible)?

    Your Role

    When I started as SBM, not only did I lack credibility but so did the role! My predecessor (and the first SBM in the post at the school) had left under a cloud therefore, the value that this role could create was still questionable. I had to gain credibility and fast. I had to be a strong leader to my teams, set clear boundaries with staff and evidence the impact of my work in a way that left no room for debate.

    Your turn…

    Are you seen as a leader or more operational? What does your Head expect from you? Are you seen as ‘essential’ or ‘extra’? Do you and your teams operate in a parallel universe? Do you have the appropriate level of autonomy to do your job?

    Your Relationships

    Because of my starting point and the history of the role, I found myself, more often than not, working in my own lane and on my own highway. I wasn’t invited onto SLT and was seen as somewhat of an adjunct. That was okay at first as I had a very steep learning curve – but then I found myself hitting walls when it came to getting things done. My rapidly growing knowledge was my power but my role was just words on a page. I had to make it come to life. My priority became reshaping and developing my professional relationships.

    Your turn…

    Think about your relationships with your Head and your SLT. Does your Head support you? Do you get enough time together? Are you on the SLT? Do you act like a member of the SLT? How do they support your work? How do you support their work? Do you go to SLT meetings? Do they listen when you talk? Do they trust you?

    Your Way of Working

    Creating new ways of working without compromising the relationships I had built was a tough task. I had to cut through some very well-established and sometimes jealously protected bad habits. To achieve this, I had to work really hard on adjusting my leadership style in accordance with context and personality as well as digging in for the long haul, picking my words wisely and my battles carefully.

    Your turn…

    Think about how you operate. What is your office like? Are you out and about in the school too much – or not enough? Do you prefer e-mails or face-to-face conversations? How do people get to know what you know? How do you get things done? How do you deal with difficult situations? What makes you speak up? How does the way you work impact on how you are perceived?

    Your Presentation

    When it comes to being an SBM, you don’t just have to ‘talk-the-talk’ you have to ‘walk-the-walk’. My first SBM role was an uphill battle from day one, and at every turn I was being tripped up either by my own feet or somebody else’s. Even though that got to me, I never showed it and I never wavered. Instead, I kept showing up – I kept moving. Some days, I ran to stand still and some days I actually got somewhere. I got through it by being relentless, consistent and downright determined. 

    Your turn…

    How would your Head and SLT describe you? How do you walk down the corridor? How do you respond when challenged? How do you conduct yourself in meetings? In terms of your wellbeing, do you look after yourself well? How much do you value yourself? Think about this; if you don’t act like a leader and value yourself, then why should they?

    One final thought…

    Remember why you do what you do in the first place. Don’t let the judgement of other people take away your passion, dedication and commitment to this job. You can do this and if they don’t appreciate what you do or the value that you add, find a school that will!

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    Source: My blog vault

  • SBLs: It’s Good To Talk

    SBLs: It’s Good To Talk

    SBLs often report that theirs can be a lonely profession so, whether it’s talking to other members of staff or fellow SBLs, it’s important to stay in contact. In honour of National Conversation Week, Laura Williams discusses the importance of keeping in touch…

    It has been said that the role of a school business leader is ‘boundaryless’ – and, having been an SBL, I completely agree.

    SBLs are solo operators, very much like headteachers. We may lead a number of teams and work alongside the SLT, but nobody in the school has first-hand knowledge of the demands of our role, or the capacity required to deliver it. Being the ‘only one’ can lead to us feeling rather lonely and isolated – and often means that we end up struggling in silence.

    Though we might feel alone when we’re sitting in our offices with five spreadsheets, SIMS and the payroll file open, it doesn’t have to be this way! Here are five ways that we can get in touch – and stay in touch – with people who know where we’ve been, where we are and where we’re going.

    1. Networking and joint learning

    Studying for a qualification and attending workshops, seminars and conferences are great opportunities not only for CPD, but also for meeting up with other SBLs. Events such as these usually build in time for networking and allow us to spend time talking with fellow SBLs about what’s happening, how we’re doing and sharing inspiration. When the workload is high, it’s tempting to avoid leaving the building – or to even cancel a delegate place you’ve already booked; but planning in advance, and committing to just one day out per term, can have a huge impact on both your sanity and your perspective.

    2. Social media

    If you’re comfortable with social media, why not join in with? There’s a great network of SBLs on LinkedIn and Threads who are friendly, approachable and keen to share their experiences and provide help and support to other SBLs. It may seem intimidating at first, but please don’t worry – follow some SBLs, introduce yourself, and you will make some great connections.

    3. Projects and collaboration

    Many local networks and professional associations not only run conferences, but also facilitate great opportunities for sharing practice and collaborating on projects. Visiting other schools, unravelling big compliance changes – like GDPR – and sharing policy templates and supplier recommendations will help you practically, as well as personally.

    4. Coaching

    If you feel like you’re really struggling, and the thought of sitting in a room full of other SBLs only makes you feel more anxious at this point, then undertaking coaching could be the answer you’re looking for. Working with an independent, professional coach, one-on-one, can help to provide you with focus, a fresh perspective and the clarity you need to move forward. The coaching process is structured, time-limited and focuses on your specific needs and goals at this time. It’s also a safe and confidential space – which means you don’t have to worry about how you are perceived by your fellow colleagues.

    5. Mentoring

    If you don’t feel comfortable networking or putting yourself out there, and coaching isn’t your thing, then perhaps working with a mentor could provide you with the touchstone you need to provide you with support and a sounding board on a regular basis. This could be with someone you know or someone recommended to you through your network. Again, the arrangement would be confidential, but it’s more informal and fluid than coaching.

    However you decide to move forward, know that you don’t have to do so alone. Find somewhere, or someone, that can provide you with the support you need – and know that asking for help does not lessen you; it gives you the tools to become more.

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    Written for: EdExec Magazine

  • SBLs: The Art of Saying ‘No’

    SBLs: The Art of Saying ‘No’

    To feel comfortable saying ‘no’, you must first of all ask ‘is this person making a reasonable request?’

    If it isn’t (let’s say it’s class tickets to Wimbledon), then politely explain your reasons (of which I’m sure there will be many) and be firm. 

    If the answer is ‘no’ and will always be ‘no’, it’s important that you respond immediately, politely and firmly. In these situations, be sure that you have the autonomy to make the decision. If you don’t, let them know that you’ll note their request and get back to them when you’ve spoken with the Head. 

    Of course, it gets harder if you know that what they’re asking for is something that could really benefit the school and in a time when money wasn’t an issue, you wouldn’t think twice about saying yes. 

    In these situations, examine the request more thoroughly and ask yourself – has anything they’ve said made you reconsider the existing budget priorities? Is there anything that either you or they can do to enable you to say yes? Maybe there is a cheaper way of doing something or reducing expenditure in another area could create additional resources. 

    If you don’t know the answer to this off the bat, then don’t be afraid to say ‘I hear where you’re coming from, leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do.’  

    When you’ve investigated, make sure that you go back to them with a clear answer and explanation. If you try and you fail to meet their request, then at least the person will see that you recognise the importance of what they’ve asked for but there are good reasons behind why you’ve had to say no.

    It’s worth keeping a note of any budget request you receive to discuss in your finance meeting with the Head. Any requests that fall into a ‘grey’ area can be reviewed as a whole as the financial picture continues to shift.

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    Source: My blog vault

  • 10 Ways To Decide If You’re In The Right Job

    10 Ways To Decide If You’re In The Right Job

    Many things can affect how we feel about our jobs. I have both loved and hated my job in the same week – sometimes in the same day!

    But if you’re feeling down or unhappy and have been feeling like this for some time, it’s hard to know whether you’re really falling out of love with your job or whether it’s just a rough patch. 

    Looking back on the reasons that help me decide I wasn’t in the right job, they vary pretty wildly:

    • My boss was leaving and I didn’t want to work for his replacement
    • I wasn’t challenged enough and the role was too monotonous
    • I felt that I had both hit my ceiling in the organisation I was at and a new opportunity came my way that was very appealing
    • I no longer felt aligned with the organisation and where it was heading

    To help you figure out how you truly feel about your job and whether you should consider a change, I’ve put together a list of ten ways you can pinpoint exactly how you feel, why you feel that way and what you can do about it.

    You & the Workplace

    First, spend some time thinking about how your job makes you feel. It doesn’t matter if you work for the best organisation in the world if you don’t enjoy what you do.

    1. How you talk about your job to other people

    When someone asks you ‘what do you do’ how do you answer? If someone says that your job sounds great or interesting, do you agree? Or do you say it’s great, but you feel yourself cringe inside?

    The language you use when you talk about your job with other people is a good indicator of your true feelings. If you’re not sure, ask your partner or your friends. Do they think you’re happy at work? Maybe you don’t realise how much you talk positively (or negatively) about what you do.

    If you find yourself talking negatively about your job, ask yourself:

    • Where does this bad feeling come from?
    • How long have I been feeling like this?
    • Am I just going through a bad patch?

    2. The tasks that you do

    When you think of a typical week (ok, in education there’s no such thing so let’s say a half term), how much of what you do, do you enjoy? When you think of doing the things you don’t enjoy, does it colour your view of your job or do you accept that every job has parts that aren’t satisfying? Consider the ratio of good parts to bad parts and how happy you are with that.

    If you’ve found yourself in the position where most of what you do, you don’t enjoy, ask yourself:

    • Has it always been this way?
    • Is this a temporary situation and if so, when will it change?
    • Is there anything that I can do to shift the balance?

    3. What your days are like

    Does the time fly, or do you find yourself constantly clock-watching? If you’re clock-watching, consider why that is. Are you struggling to concentrate? Are you behind on a deadline or are you just anxious for the day to be over already? 

    If the time flies, is it because you’ve got way too much to do or are you having fun? 

    Whether you’re strapped for time or are an avid clock-watcher, ask yourself:

    • Is this how I like my working day to be?
    • What changes can I make to my role or the way that I work to make this better for myself?
    • Do I need to speak to someone about this to get some support and help me improve the situation?

    4. Your work/life balance

    How easy is it for you to switch off at the end of the day? Do you find yourself compromising family time to get work done at home? Do you find yourself getting in super early and staying as late as you can (i.e. until the caretaker kicks you out)? 

    Work/life balance isn’t a science. Everybody has different thresholds and mechanisms for managing their time and workload. 

    If your work/life balance isn’t what you’d like it to be, ask yourself:

    • Is this a blip or has it become routine?
    • What does a good work/life balance look like to me and what am I comfortable and not comfortable with about my current situation?
    • Am I controlling my work schedule or is it controlling me? What can I do to address the balance?

    5. Your plans for the future

    When you think of the future, do you see yourself in the same job? Or do you see yourself in another job entirely? Have you outgrown your role or do you see that happening in the near future? Maybe you know that the job you’re in right now isn’t for you in the long term. But have you considered where you’ll go next? 

    Maybe you’ve got your eye on a promotion or maybe you’re waiting for a vacancy to come up in another organisation. Either way, having an eye on the future can help you address some of the issues that you have in the present.

    If you’re not sure what the future holds and you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself:

    • Do I want to carry on doing the job that I’m doing now and if so, for how long?
    • Do I want to progress to another role in the future?
    • Should I be planning to move to another organisation or can I continue/progress where I am?

    The Workplace & You

    Now spend some time thinking about your workplace. It might be that you have the best job in the world but you’re not sure if you’re working for the right organisation.

    6. The values and culture of the organisation

    When people ask where you work, are you proud to tell them? If someone asks you if they should apply for a job in your organisation, what do you say? Do the vision, mission and values of your organisation motivate you? What is it really like to work there?

    Maybe it’s great, maybe it’s so-so or maybe it’s hell, no! Regardless, ask yourself:

    • Does your organisation operate by its values or does it contradict itself?
    • Does how I feel about my organisation impact on my feelings about my job or my capacity to do my job well?
    • Do I really enjoy working there?

    7. Your relationship with your Line Manager

    Think about the interactions that you have with your Line Manager. Are they positive? Are they respectful? Does your Line Manager support you? How do you feel right before you’re due to go into a meeting with them?

    Did you know that approximately 70% of people leave their job because they don’t have a good relationship with their direct line manager? That’s a pretty big number. Nobody is saying that you have to be BFFs but at a minimum, the relationship should be professional, respectful and supportive.

    If you think your relationship with your line manager could be better, ask yourself:

    • What are the specific issues that contribute to how I feel about my line manager?
    • Would speaking to them about how I feel help to improve the situation?
    • What action can I take to improve or mitigate the negative elements of this relationship?

    8. Your relationships with your colleagues

    Throughout the course of the working day, how many interactions do you have with your colleagues? Overall, are they positive or are they negative? Do you have colleagues that you can talk to about what’s going on at work? Do the people you work with treat each other well and with respect?

    We spend so much of our waking time in the workplace that having nobody to talk to or working in a toxic environment can really impact on how we feel about our jobs. 

    If you think that your working relationships with your colleagues could be better, ask yourself:

    • What is holding me back when it comes to building relationships with my colleagues?
    • How can I improve these relationships?
    • Do I have at least one trusted colleague that I can talk to about how I feel and give me some advice?

    9. The opportunities that you have

    Think about your job and the skills that you have. Does your job give you enough opportunity to use your top skills to best effect? How often do you feel challenged in your role? Is your organisation invested in your development and do they support you with appropriate CPD? 

    • What are my aspirations for myself and my role, both now and in the future?
    • Does my organisation know what my aspirations are?
    • Who do I need to speak to about how I’m feeling so I can be supported?

    10. The way you are treated

    Think about how your organisation treats you, as an employee. Are you treated fairly? Are you paid fairly? Do you feel secure in your job? If you have an issue, how is it dealt with? Is the value that you add to your organisation recognised?

    If you work for an organisation that you don’t feel a part of and you’re worried that someone is plotting to get rid of you, then this will, of course, have a direct impact on how you feel about your job. 

    If you don’t feel that your organisation treats you the way that you deserve to be treated, ask yourself:

    • Is it one incident or have there been many incidents that make me feel this way?
    • Is it just me that feels this way or do others feel the same way that I do?
    • Do I see this changing and if not, what am I going to do about it?

     Like what you’ve read? Subscribe to my Tuesday emails here.

    Source: My blog vault

  • How To Map Your Career Path

    How To Map Your Career Path

    Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

    If the thought of answering this question brings you out in a cold sweat, then this blog post is for you. With a little mental adjustment, this question will kick-start your brain, so it starts fizzing with possibilities.

    As someone who once lied during an interview when asked this question rather than admitting I honestly didn’t know, the irony of me writing this does not escape me. 

    However, my advice to you with the benefit of hindsight is that this is a question that we should be asking ourselves as part of our ongoing professional development – and ideally before we’re being interviewed. 

    Many people say that not having a career-map is like setting off on a journey to somewhere you’ve never been without using your sat-nav. Sure, you’ll probably get there eventually but you’re going to hit some dead-ends, roadblocks and maybe even end up circling back on yourself a few times before you do.

    My advice is this. Set your destination in your sat-nav but be open to detours along the way. Take the scenic route, have an over-night somewhere and maybe, if you learn about a more appealing destination along the way, reprogramme your route and have an adventure. 

    Looking back on it now, this is how I would describe my career path. I did not think when I was a PA sat in my office typing letters for the Principal, that I would eventually become a Chief Operating Officer; let alone be doing what I’m doing now! 

    My final destination was not set but I was definitely on a route to… somewhere!

    So, how did I make decisions about accepting a new responsibility, taking on a new role or moving organisations?

    First of all, I made active choices. Who I am today is all down to the choices that I’ve made in the past, not only about the things I did but the things I didn’t do too.

    I know that making choices can be scary, especially when you feel comfortable doing what you’re doing now. I took on responsibilities that I didn’t fully understand, I took jobs before I felt ready to take them and I spoke up even though I wasn’t sure if I was saying the right thing. 

    But by taking action and keeping moving, even when I wasn’t sure what lay ahead, I learnt more about myself than I ever thought possible – even when I got it wrong.

    ‘Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.’ Arthur Ashe

    Here’s my advice to you when it comes to mapping out your career and how to make the best decisions you possibly can:

    It Starts with You

    Before you can decide on the right thing for you to do, you need to, first of all, understand you.

    Ask yourself:

    1. What do I stand for?
    2. What are my values?
    3. What motivates me?
    4. What makes me want to get out of bed and go to work?
    5. What do I love to do?
    6. What do I hate doing?
    7. What am I not good at and do I want to get better at it?
    8. What type of work environment suits me best?
    9. What level of challenge and pressure am I comfortable with?
    10. What kind of organisation do I want to work for?
    11. What is my next logical step and is it one I’m ready – and willing – to take?
    12. Do I have more than one option – and if so – when do I need to choose?

    Make A Plan

    Whether you’re looking five years, one year or one month ahead, you’re still going to need a plan. 

    Ask yourself:

    1. What is it that I want to achieve?
    2. What role will suit my skills and aspirations best?
    3. Where do I see myself in ‘x’ years or months?
    4. What does progress look like to me?
    5. Do I want to move up, across or into a whole new area altogether? 
    6. How can I prepare for this progression?
    7. What knowledge and skills do I need that I currently don’t have?
    8. How can I create opportunities that will bring me closer to where I want to be?
    9. How will I know when I’m ready?
    10. How can I test whether the plan I have is one that I should follow through?

    Test It Out

    Before you commit to a specific path, identify people in your network who are the most experienced and qualified to give you feedback on your plan. If you want to become a CEO, do you know any CEOs who would be willing to have a chat with you? If you’re looking at moving into a Senior Leadership position, are there any Senior Leaders or Headteachers that you know that would be happy to meet up for a chat over coffee? Also, consider speaking to experienced recruiters. This will give you great insight as well as potentially open up future possibilities.

    This is what you want to know from them:

    1. Based on your current position, do they think that your proposed career plan is realistic and achievable?
    2. What insights can they share with you about the role that you’re considering?
    3. What would they expect to see on an application form from someone who is applying for this position?
    4. What else would they like to see on an application form that would make a candidate stand out?
    5. What additional qualifications, if any, do they think would support your application?
    6. What skills and experiences do they think would be helpful for you to develop and undertake that would strengthen your position?
    7. What other advice can they give you that is specific to you, your starting point and your goals for the future?

    Flesh It Out

    Once you’ve considered all the advice you’ve received, it’s time to revisit your plan. 

    Ask yourself:

    1. Does anything I’ve heard make me want to change my plan in any way?
    2. What action steps have become clear to me throughout this process?
    3. Do I need to undertake any further research?
    4. What milestones am I going to set for myself?
    5. Is my timeline realistic?
    6. What concrete steps do I need to take in order to move forward?
    7. Are there any potential obstacles that I need to prepare for?
    8. What support do I need and from whom?
    9. What is the best way to match my CPD with my career plan?
    10. Is my final plan still in keeping with my values and my aspirations?

    Get Started

    It doesn’t matter if your plan is finely detailed or broad brushstrokes. You now know what you need to do to move forward. 

    Every time you complete a step or reach a milestone, check in with your plan. Does it still resonate with you? Are you moving at the pace you’d hoped? Has anything changed? Do you need to recalibrate?

    Remember, by mapping your career plans, you are not committing to anything apart from moving forward. By setting your guiding principles and milestones, you’re allowing yourself to keep an open mind. 

    And that’s the beauty of it… because who knows where you might end up?

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    Source: My blog vault